The present invention is directed to the field of wireless warning systems for rapidly warning selected system users, via a pager communication link, of various types of emergencies, particularly as a rapid and broad instantaneous system for a group of individual users, where a critical emergency may be a tornado warning or watch.
The present invention relates to a system for providing warning information to users, such as to a pager-type system, or similar receiver, where rapidly transmitted emergency information can be critical in helping to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
Most people today must rely upon the mass media, such as television and radio, to advise them of various emergency situations. These emergency situations vary from daily traffic reports, to more serious situations, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, plane crashes, chemical and plant accidents, etc. Unfortunately, one must be listening or watching to be aware of the specific emergency. Even where the emergency occurs at a fixed facility, such as a plant or prison, one must be within earshot to hear any alarm that may be sounded by the facility.
Despite the strides that have been made by the National Weather Service in determining areas of potential concern for tornadoes, through satellite technology and computer modeling, tornadoes continue to be emergencies that cause unfortunate injury and death throughout the United States and other countries each year. As good as those efforts have been in recent years, the problem exists in notifying the public. Unless one is listening to a radio or television, one might not even be aware of a xe2x80x9cwatch,xe2x80x9d much less a xe2x80x9cwarning.xe2x80x9d Clearly, when one is asleep, an advanced alert is impossible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,539, to Lauterbach et al., represents a proposed solution to provide an alerting and warning system for alerting or warning large numbers of people of the occurrence or threat of an emergency using available communications media. Multiple facilities are monitored for the occurrence of multiple alarm conditions. On the occurrence of such a condition, radio or telephone contact is made with a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the LEPC is notified of the site and nature of the alarm condition. Using a predetermined listing or data bank the LEPC selects a number corresponding to the site and condition and transmits such number to an automated controller for a radio transmitter. The transmitter may be part of an existing radio paging system. The automated controller, on the basis of the number dialed in by the LEPC, transmits an appropriate Code Assignment plan (Cap Code) signal. The Cap Code signal is the electronic signature of a preprogrammed Cap Code chip within individual radio receivers positioned at the sites of intended alarm recipients. The Cap Codes are individually assigned and utilized to effect the notification of predetermined individuals related to specific alarm conditions. Upon a receiver being actuated by receipt of its Cap Code an alarm is actuated to produce a sensory alarm signal such as sound or light. A detector is provided at the alarm site and upon detecting the sensory alarm acknowledges to the monitored facility the occurrence of the alarm.
There are limitations, however, to the system of Lauterbach et al. The Lauterbach et al. system relies upon individual pager units, with each such unit to be called. That is, whether the pager units are called one by one, or as part of a pre-programmed list that is auto dialed by computer, the system thereof still requires dialing all of the individual numbers of the respective pager units. With electrical power lost, individual dialing would be of no real value as a warning system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,038, to Snyder, teaches a more recent wireless system for communicating with a remote location, such as an automobile. The system thereof includes a calling transceiver, a central transceiver, and a satellite, whereby the calling transceiver and the central transceiver are used to transmit a forward wireless communication over-the-air, through the satellite, and to a pager transceiver located in the remote location in order to control a device located in the remote location. Upon receiving the signal, the pager transceiver generates a first signal, which is received by a tripping circuit, which in turn generates a second signal. The second signal causes a switch to trip, which thereby controls the device located at the remote location. The pager transceiver also has the capacity to transmit reverse wireless communications through the satellite, which allows monitoring of the device. This is at best an alarm system for tracing a stolen car, for example, but it is not an effective means for alerting a person of an emergency.
The invention hereof is uniquely distinctive by the ability to provide simultaneous emergency warning information to selected users of a wireless pager or related type system, where such information may be rapidly and automatically transmitted to such users within a designated geographic area served by the service provider. The manner by which this invention provides this unique warning alert will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates to a wireless warning system to alert and advise selected users to potential or existing emergencies within a geographic area covered by a service provider, where the system operates on the principle of a common or party-line pager communication link. The system comprises a user program in which each selected user has a coded party-line number that is activated by an emergency agency to alert said user of the emergency. The service provider, in communication with various emergency detection stations, such as police, fire, weather, etc., receives the emergency information regarding the geographic area for the emergency, and transmits the information simultaneously to all users. By this system the users are quickly advised of an emergency at a location, i.e., permanent home, mobile home, office, or school, or other location as more clearly defined hereafter.
An alternative use of the system hereof may be as a rapid means to simultaneously notify a group of users, such as a group of children at a large theme park, military personnel theater or plant supervisory personnel to assemble at a given location, or the like.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a system for alerting and advising users thereof of an emergency, when the user does not have the ready convenience of a mass media source of information.
A further object hereof is a warning system that can delineate and accurately define the nature and severity of an emergency.
Another object of this invention lies in the ability to simultaneously alert all users of the system within the geographic area where the emergency is located.
Still another object hereof lies in its use in non-emergency situations, where a selected group of individuals may be alerted simultaneously to assemble at a particular location, such as a group of children at a theme park, or plant officials for an important meeting.
A further object of this invention is a wireless communication system that can utilize conventional wireless receivers or systems, such as pager transmission companies to pager-type receivers, pager units, or fixed alarm devices.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.